I feel the same.
I'm highly skeptical that people want to wear something bulky like Vision Pro all day, but I also think Apple did a very nice job with the product. The experience of using it, as conveyed in the keynote, seems elegant. I like the way people nearby fade in and out of view. Showing the eyes and signaling full immersion across the front of the unit is a very nice touch. It looks bulky to me, but it's obvious they've put a lot of thought into making Vision Pro comfortable.
Starting at $3499...is kind of crazy. If the starting price is $3499, I shudder to think what it costs fully loaded. Based on the keynote, it also sounds like Vision Pro, like iOS devices, does not support multiple users (although that remains to be seen). If the device can't be shared, it's hard to imagine it selling very well. The whole family needs to be able to enjoy that new interactive Disney content. Only the 0.1% will be able to buy a Vision Pro for each member of the family.
As far as a dystopian future goes, I think the trend is clear. We're merging with our technology. At the same time we're rendering our planet uninhabitable. What happens when those two trajectories intersect? What will it mean to be human? I used to think we'd leave the planet and travel through space one day. I now don't believe that will ever happen in any meaningful way. It's far more likely that we'll recreate reality digitally and ultimately become disembodied, code.
For me the creepiest thing about the Vision Pro presentation was the recording of 3D memories. I go to a lot of concerts and I just can't understand the people who essentially watch the concert through their phone screen while recording it. Those people don't experience the event. They capture it. The same thing is true for these 3D recordings the Vision Pro makes. When people are so busy worrying about capturing memories, they aren't actually experiencing or making them.
I feel like we're being conditioned more and more to experience reality through the screen. Will humans one day be forced to live in very isolated or confined conditions because of climate change and will technologies like the ones we saw today be our only escape?
Overall the Vision Pro was largely what I expected to see, although I figured it would be more tied to existing products. The fact that it's a new platform, not an accessory, is interesting. It looks a bit ridiculous, more bulky and bulbous than I expected. It's a revolutionary product in many respects, but I think Apple has a tough road ahead at that price point. The Vision Pro experience looks elegant, but will it live up to the promise when experienced firsthand? TBD.
